Signal-arm-actuating device



oct. 9,1923, 1,470,013;

v A. KEPP| ER v SIGNAL ARM ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Sebi. 17 l1921 i, f QN ,elements to permit the Patented @da i923.

ARTHUR o.ini=rnnit, or SOUTH Benn, iraniana, Y d

SIGNAL-ARM-GTUATING DEVICE.

Application mea september i7, 192i. serial no. corses.

To all 'whom it' may concern.'

Y Be it lniown that I, ARTHURV C. KEPPLER, a citizen of .the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and VState of indiana, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Signal-Arm- VActuating Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an actuating device of this. character particularly adapted for use in connection with the shiftable indicia bearingsignal elements described, claimed and illustrated in the copending application, Serial No. 554,092,1led March 21, 1921, whereby upon ,operating the signal or semaphore arm in said application, the indicia bearing elements are shifted automatically.

ln the presentfinvention the arm is noi mallydisposeduin a verticalA position, de-

pending from the casing of the actuating dei vice, it being the aim lto'.` move the' arm to an outwardly andV downwardly inclined posin tionto indicate left turn, a horizontal outwardly disposedposition to indicateA stop, andoa-nvupwardly inclined position to indicate right turn, thereforelit is another purpose of the present inventionto provide an actuating device for positioning the signal or semaphore arm in any one of these three different positions, and at the same time automatically actuate the indicia bearing elements, and also lighting an electric bulb, which reiects `through the indicia bearing after dark. i

A still further purpose is the provision of .an actuating device, wherein a single handle f operates to move a piston, which inturn operates the arm throughrtheinedium o-f con'- y necting .ineanstherewitln and also operates a. Contact collar,rwhich closes the Aelectric lamp circuit,l It is obviousthat when the.' semaphore or signal a'rniis tilted to anyone of these 'threerdiierent positions, vfor theV purposeof indicating to the [chauffeur of a following vehicle, the, movements of Ythe 'A vehicle infront, theindicia bearing elements are pulled in frontof Athe openings in the arno, Vdue to connections between the elements and the .Casing of thel actuating'device. i While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth are deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a resultof a y, reductionof the invention tol a morevpracindicia to be visibley 4 Figure 2 isa longitudinalsectionalview throughthe actuating device Vshowing, VAtheV connections between the arm and the `pist-en within the casing; fr Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional-view through the semaphore or'sigiial arrn'show-` ing the indicia beerin'gelernents ;1 Y

Figure 4L is apsectional jview 'onlin of Figure 3; l l o Figure 5 is an enlarged detail View of the rear endof the casing oftheactuating device vso showing the rotatable collar 17 andthe notches Y 23 Figure 6 is a sectional vview on @T6 ,of Figure 2; and

, Figure 17 is a detail View of the bracketi and the manner of Connection between itand the casing of the actuating device.

Referring to thejdrawingarl designates the casing ofthe actuating device, which V.is mounted upona bracket 2,"to Ibesuitaloly connected at@ to a portionofthebody of the motorvehicle. This'casing is ibij-fur! cated at onel end, and .pivotally mounted in the sides 3a caused to be formed bya bifur` cation l is a reduced lug 5 of the casing 6 of the signal or semaphore arm. .The pivot 7,

forV the lug 5v is located adjacent .the end portions of the sides Yofthe bifurcation.v The l lug 5 of the signal or semaphore is also provided withv a Vbifurcation 8, infivhich a vlink@ is pivotally mounted upon apin :10.

A lever ll 'is pivotally mounted ati2-A in Vthe n bifurcation 4 and is provided with spaced arinsl, between theendsof which the-link 9 is pivoted as at V174g.V f

The casing l isjpreferafbiy Vrectangular Vin contour, though noti necessarilyyand is hollow,and hasits end opposite the bifurcation 4 reduced to eylindrical'forin. Tliisireduced cylindrical portion 15of said casing lia-,sra segmental slot 16, and rotatably iitzted on the iio reduced portion-15 is a collar 17. The interior of the casing 1 is cylindrical and rotatable therein is a sleeve 18. A handle 19 engagesV through an-opening 2O in the collar 17 and through said segmental slot 16, and is threaded at 21 in the sleeve 18, so that when the handle is rocked in any one of four different positions, the sleeve 18, and the collar 17 move together.

One corner of the casing adjacent the collar 17 has a cavity for the reception of a spring tensioned pin or detent 22, which engages in one of the four notches or depressions 23 in one edge of the collar 17, so as to'y hold it in diderent adjusted positions, according to the positions to be assumed by the semaphore or signal arm. One of said depressions or notches holds the arm in a suspended position, while another of said notches holds the arm in a downwardly and laterally inclined position, the other holds the arm or semaphore in a horizontal position, or in a laterally and upwardly inclined position. rihese positions of the arm indicate the intention of the chauffeur-fdriving the machine in front to continue forward, left turn, stop and right turn.

yThe interior of the sleeve is threaded, said threads 2-1being of substantial pitch and are engaged by the threads 25 of the piston 26, which is mounted in the sleeve. This piston has pivoted'v to one Vend a link 27, which in turnis pivotally connected at 28 to the lever 11. The link 27 operates through an elongated slot in the bottom of the bifurcation 4. The sides of the elongated slot 29 through which the link 27 engages holds the link from turning, while the length of the slot permits a limited movement of the link.

It is obvious that when the handle 19 is l,rocked from itsnormal position to a position to permit l.the spring retained pin to engage the second notch of the collar 17, the

sleeve'18 is rotated, causing the piston to move suiiiciently to tilt the semaphore or signal arm to indicate left turn.

v .A further movement of the handle 19 .will cause the spring retained pin to engage the third notch, therefore the sleeve will be rotated sufficiently to move the piston, so as to move the semaphore or signal arm to a hori- Zontal position, to indica-te stop, whereasa and its front and ,rear kwalls are providedk with s transparent covered A openings 30, through which are exposed the indiciabear-l ing strips 31. One end of. each strip is p wound upon `aspringtensioned roller 32.

Connected to the other ends ofsaid strips are cords 33, which are wound around the opposite ends of a roller VBt journaled between the sides of the pivoted ends of the semaphore or signal arm. A cord 85 is wound around the central portion of the roller 84: and also connected thereto, while the other end of said cord 35 is attached at 36 between the bracket and the casing 1. Obviously when the semaphore or p signal arm is tilted to any one of the three different positions left, stop or right turn, the indicia bearing elements will be moved 'so as to be exposed through the transparent covered openings. 'n

An electric lamp 37 is mounted inthe semaphore or signal arm, and extending therefroni is a lead 38, which is vconnected to a contact member 39, which is mounted upon and insulated from the casing l. This con-l casing. However as soon as the handle 19 is moved, thereby moving the collar, the

contact 39 engages the collar, and closes the circuit thereby lighting the electriclamp and the semaphore or signal arm, illuminating the interior thereof, whereby the' indicia upon the indicia bearing elements are clearly visible at night. The cylindrical reduced end of the casing (which carries the collar 17 )has a second reduced portion, on which a cap 4:2 is threaded, thereby closing the end of the casing. It is obvious thatY the cap may be removed, in order to supply oil to the interior of the casing, whereby the sleeve and the piston may freely operate.

vThe invention having been set forth, what is claimed as being useful is:

1. In asemaphore operating mechanism, a casing, a semaphore arm Vrpivoted on the casing, an internallythreaded sleeve rotatably mounted in the Ycasing and having an operating handle for effectin rotationk thereof, a longitudinally mova `le y piston threaded into the sleeve, a curved link pivotally connected at one end within they casing,

a second curved link pivotally connected. l

with the free endof the first named link and with the arm, and a third link pivotally connected with the outer end of said piston Y and with the intermediate portion of the` rstnamed link. p p 2. In a semaphore operating mechanism, a casing, a semaphore arm pivoted upon one end of the casing, Imeans within the casing" for swinging said arm into selected positions, windows in'the'front and back of the casing, a pair of spring rollers arranged in vertical position within the casing, flexible Vnelcer carrying members secured toend wound upon said rollers and exposed through the respective Windows, eJ triple drum structure at the pivot of the amm-flexible members secureclto and Wrapped about the outermost drum members and connected with the respective flexible indicia carrying members, and a. flexible member'secured at one end. to the casing and having its other end secured "to and Wrappeclebout the intermediate section of said triple drum structure.

3. In a semaphore actuating mechanism, :L

casing, a semaphore erm pivoteol thereon,

mea-ns formovlng the arm,'W1ndoWs`1n the front andback ofthe easing, a pair of spring i and carrying indicia visible through the rel spectve Windows, e pair of drums located at the pvot of the arm, flexible members se-y cured to and wrapped upon said drums and connected with said' first named flexible "membersgr and means connected with the drum and the casing for rotating the drum when the casing is swung.

In testimony whereof IA hereunto aflx my signature.

- ARTHUR o. AKEPPLER. 

